Maybe you'd like to elaborate on the the comparison between the 2 expansion franchises. Not everyone here is that familiar with the Bucs of that period. The only thing I can think of is that both teams had young, strong armed, mobile QBs. Feel free to fill in the blanks.

"The Buccaneers joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team. Former University of Southern California (USC) head coach John McKay was hired to pilot the club, but Tampa Bay’s first season was a dismal one. The club became the first team in NFL history to lose all 14 regular-season games, suffering five shutouts and fielding the conference’s worst offense and defense. The Buccaneers’ losing streak grew to a league-record 26 consecutive games as the club lost the first 12 games of its second season.

TEXANS ?? I think NOT!

... and to continue ....

Tampa Bay improved in 1978, winning five games behind running backs Ricky Bell and Anthony Davis, rookie quarterback Doug Williams, and brothers Lee Roy and Dewey Selmon, who played defensive end and linebacker, respectively. A year later, in 1979, the Buccaneers stunned the league, winning their first five games en route to a first-place tie with the Chicago Bears in the Central Division.

Yeah, they made it to the NFC championsip game in 1979 and lost to the Rams, who lost to the Steelers in the Super Bowl.

They fell apart when Doug Williams decided to defect to the USFL. Williams and Lee Roy Selmon were the heart and soul of that team. Selmon ended up having injury problems and I think didn't play much in the 80's. Ricky Bell had a disappointing pro career because of injuries.

Because at this exact point, and time in their existence they had just traded us their No.1(overall) pick, which we used on Earl Campbell. It cost us our No.1(17th), and No.2, te Jimmie Giles, and a 3rd, and 5th the following year. Best trade we ever made. They had just selected USC rb Ricky Bell(over Tony Dorsett) No.1 overall the year before, so they didn't feel they needed Earl. THANK YOU TB!!!

When they made the championship game against the Rams, they had a great defense, and a bad offense. They lost 9-0.

I'll take where we are now. We are building(or at least trying to) a much more balanced team.

NOT REALLY A GOOD COMPARISON! For one thing I think coach Capers did a much better job with a first year club than did John McKay. Other comparisons are just not there in my mind. TB, like most expansion teams of that era, took all veterans and the NFL older and fringe type players for their expansion draft. I thought we did fairly well in our first year trying to get a better blend of experienced versus potential good players. Boselli was unfortunate, but that could have happened in any case. As we enter our 3rd year of competition I am very encouraged. We are on course in a 5 year building program to put us in the Super Bowl. We have drafted well and Charley Casserly has used the waiver wire to excellent effect to put this team where it is today. This year will be a breakeven, or maybe 9-7 year if we avoid last years terrible injury bug. NoBull.

First of all, Tampa lost 26 consecutive games to start their franchise. Then they went to the conference championship in their 4th season (prehaps that's the point). Then they went into hibernation again for several years. McKay's overall record with them was terrible -- something like 44-84.

There were differences in how the teams were stocked:

In '76, Tampa and Seattle alternated making the 1st and 2nd selections of each round in the college draft. Both teams also received two choices at the end of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th rounds.

In their expansion draft in '76, both Tampa and Seattle picked 39 players in a process somewhat similar to to the 2002 expansion draft. Each of the other 26 teams froze 29 players from its roster (the roster was something less than 53 back then). TB and Seattle alternated making selections from the remaining pool of players. When the first player was chosen from each team, that team then could freeze two additional players. TB and Sea continued making those selections until three players had been chosen from each team.

Of the 39 players selected by TB in the expansion draft, 22 made the '76 roster.

TB's college draft in '76 included such notables as LeeRoy Selmon and Carl Roaches.

Recall that back then TB was in the AFC and Seattle in the NFC (but only for a year). Seattle has now returned to the NFC after a long stint in the AFC.

IMO, Houston texans haven't got a championship apparision...but the way the team has been builded, lands on the perspective on a team that is doing the things with a good perspective, not in the immediate future but on the middle term.

Houston has been doing interesting things on past years, this year your team has to prove that the evolution is doing well.

I think that on the 2005 season, is where Houston will show what they are made of.

IMO, Houston texans haven't got a championship apparision...but the way the team has been builded, lands on the perspective on a team that is doing the things with a good perspective, not in the immediate future but on the middle term.